In this episode of the Making Every Class Catholic podcast, I’m joined by Chris Fisher, Superintendent of Catholic Schools for the Archdiocese of San Francisco. Drawing on his years at Portsmouth Abbey and the Portsmouth Institute, Chris explores what the Benedictine tradition has to offer Catholic schools today: an education that forms not only the mind, but also the heart through beauty, receptivity, contemplation, and community.

Chris expounds what St. John Henry Newman called the Benedictine “poetic imagination” and why it remains foundational for Catholic education. And he argues that before students analyze the world, they must first learn to receive it—to encounter literature, nature, Scripture, and the liturgy with wonder and love. And we explore how practices like lectio divina, the Benedictine tradition of florilegia, and meaningful classroom conversation cultivate habits of attention that prepare students not only for academic success but for a life of faith.

We also look at the integration of faith and culture across the curriculum. How can teachers read Virgil, Freud, Marx, or Shakespeare in a way that takes each author seriously while also placing them in dialogue with the Gospel?

Finally, we discuss the importance of conversation itself as a mode of learning and formation. In an age increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, the distinctly human capacities for dialogue, attentiveness, and community are more essential than ever. Whether you’re a classroom teacher, school leader, or simply someone interested in the renewal of Catholic education, this episode offers both profound philosophical insights and practical ideas for cultivating schools where students learn to love the truth—and ultimately, to desire God.

Music by Braden Kuntz